November 9, 2016
The State Government has allocated a $50,000 Heritage grant to the Stonehouse complex at Moore.
The grant will allow a condition assessment report to be prepared on the crumbling Heritage-listed buildings and to undertake urgent stabilisation work.
The stone buildings are a familiar sight to travellers today along the D’Aguilar Highway but are also an important part of the story about the coach road that used to run between Esk and Nanango.
According to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, the three buildings which remain – in various states of repair – were built between 1874 and 1888 by Charles and Frank Williams.
These include the main building, a kitchen and pantry, and a butcher’s shop.
The Stonehouse buildings were part of an early wayside inn where travellers could stay overnight and get fresh horses before attempting to climb the Blackbutt Range into Yarraman and Nanango.
The fact that the Stonehouse was a familiar part of any trip out west can be vouched for by its mention in the traditional folk tune “Brisbane Ladies”.
Later, Nanango mail contractor Alex McCallum ran a coach service from about 1893 that regularly used the Stonehouse facilities.
The funding for the assessment report is one of 18 heritage grants announced by the State Government on Wednesday.
